Kukla's Korner Hockey

After a crushing, 2-0 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday night dropped San Jose to ninth place in the Western Conference standings, the Sharks’ season is teetering on the brink.

“We’ve got to win every game,” Joe Thornton said. “That’s how it is now. There’s four games left and we’ve got to go 4-0.”

That’s because the Sharks came away with no points on this two-game trip as they managed to score just a single goal. Now they’re looking up at Dallas, Phoenix and Los Angeles in the Pacific Division race. They’re also looking at what once seemed inconceivable: missing the postseason.

It’s also why a frustrated Ryane Clowe delivered what amounted to a blunt ultimatum to his team as he talked quietly to reporters afterward.

“I still think we can get some more juice from some people,” Clowe said. “We’ve just got to bear down. Individually, you have to realize what’s on the line. Do you want to play or do you want to go home? You have to find it within yourself. Whatever your role is on this team, you’ve got to do it now.

“If you’ve got 14 or 15 guys going this time of year, you’re not going to win, especially against Dallas and L.A. You need everyone. We have to have all four lines rolling, and we need the tenacity. We can get the grit up a bit.”